Recruit and Retain Students in Higher Education with eSports
eSports center concept, part of a college dining renovation.
There is no denying current and future generations are gamers. eSports has been growing at double digits rates since 2018. During the height of COVID-19, eSports viewers grew to nearly half a billion. Total hours streamed reached over 225 million hours.
With college admissions down (not just from COVID-19), increasing opportunities for gamers in higher education could be an effective strategy for recruitment and retention.
Did you know that gaming is a $160 billion worldwide industry with less than a dozen universities developing gaming/eSports curricula to prepare students for future jobs? Put into context, the music and film industry is just $59 billion but it has nearly 3,000 schools with programs for students. Providing gaming opportunities will help attract new students.
Two-thirds of gamers are pursuing STEM degrees.
Gamers, both male and female, tend to study STEM programs in college. Females who game are three times more likely to study STEM in college. Incorporating gaming into either programs of study or as an extracurricular activity will keep your students interest in both their programs of study and attending the college/university.
Adding an eSports center as part of your student center or dining hall renovation could be a great solution for increasing utilization of the space, and giving students a space to play and socialize.
